David Grayling Fine Sporting Books: specialist in fine, rare, antiquarian and secondhand books- particularly books on field sports and wildlife and big game hunting in africa and india

LILFORD, Lord.

COLOURED FIGURES OF THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. Seven volumes.

1891-97

First edition [limited to 550 copies] Photogravure portrait of the author, list of subscribers and 421 fine coloured plates by Archibald Thorburn, J.G. Keulemans, G.E. Lodge; plates and text leaves guarded throughout. Finely bound in half crimson morocco, five gilt tooled raised bands, gilt panelled spines with centre ornaments and top edges gilt by Morrell. A FINE AND EXCEPTIONALLY CLEAN AND BRIGHT SET; BOUND BY ONE OF THE LEADING BINDERS OF THE 20th CENTURY. Thorburn was responsible for about two thirds of the plates. Lord Lilford's description of every British species known at that time was accompanied by one or more portraits. The plates are very finely executed and printed, Thorburn's are the best in these volumes......The plates are considered to be some of the finest coloured illustrations of birds ever produced for a book." It would be hard to find a finer copy. The other plates are collectively by Keulemans, Lodge and William Foster.

£3800.00